Migratory Fish in Your Backyard – Be a citizen scientist!

We’re trying to learn more about river herring runs in the tributaries of the Connecticut section of the Connecticut River

Become a citizen scientist! Help us collect data needed to learn more about river herring populations in tributaries of the Connecticut River.

What are volunteers doing?

A few dozen monitors throughout the watershed are monitoring selected run three times per week between April 1st and June 30th looking for the presence of river herring in the water and estimating relative abundance then reporting the data.

Why?

There has been significant progress in reconnecting habitat for river herring in the Connecticut basin over the last decade, with important runs opened by dam removals and the installation of fish passage. Despite this initial progress, populations remain in decline. We have too little information about the status of river herring following the loss of a robust monitoring program due to budget cuts and staff reductions in the Inland Fisheries Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The goals of this project are two-fold. First, to educate the general public about river herring and its status in the Connecticut River. Second, to recruit and train volunteers to become citizen scientists to help CRC, CT DEEP and the US Fish and Wildlife Service get better data that will help with restoration efforts.

What geographic area does the program cover?

The following is a list of priority streams. However, it is by no means a complete list of potential streams for monitoring. Please contact us if your local tributary is not on the list and you are interested in participating.

Site

Town

State

Falls River

Essex

CT

Pattaconk Brook

Chester

CT

Higganum Creek

Haddam

CT

Coginchaug River

Middletown

CT

Wethersfield Cove

Wethersfield

CT

Farmington River

Farmington

CT

Stony Brook

Suffield

CT

Pewterpot, Porter and Salmon brooks in Keeney Cove

East Hartford

CT

Roaring Brook

Glastonbury

CT

Moodus River

East Haddam

CT

Roaring Brook

Lyme

CT

For more information, contact Alicea Charamut acharamut@ctriver.org or (860) 704-0057